HomeRiding the Bonneville Speedway
Brian Allen
Brian opens up his Triumph across the salt flats of the Bonneville Speedway. . . . [More]
Marion County Toy Run
Kevin McKee, District 9 Reporter
Chili, quilts, bikes, MAGIC and of course, toys! . . . [More]
Honoring Those Who Served...
Michael W. Malotte, District 11 Reporter
District 11 is invited to participate in Leavenworth's Veteran's Day Parade. . . . [More]
Lobbyist Report
Chris Maurich, Lobbyist
Chris explains the Right-of-Way Violition issue as well as the erroneous Safer-Crashes doctrine of law-writers. . . . [More]
District 9 Casino Night
Kevin McKee, District 9 Reporter
District 9's Annual Casino Night event held at Z's Club in McPherson. . . . [More]
Having Fun and Making a Difference
Michael W. Malotte, District 11 Reporter
District 11 holds BBQ and Bike Show at Brown County Developmental Services. . . . [More]
Lobbyist Report
Chris Maurich, Lobbyist
Lobbyist Chris Maurich recounts the legislative session and focuses on 2009 . . . [More]
Dist 12 Benefit Poker Run
Tish Martin, District 12 Reporter
District 12 holds a benefit run in Emporia. . . . [More]
National Labor Day Rally XXXIII
Crazy Eddie
Wayfaring Crazy Eddie reports his well-versed sojourn at ABATE of Kansas's annually anticipated rally. We hope you'll be there next year. . . . [More]
Harvey County Pre-Toy Run Party
Crazy Eddie
Well-travelled Crazy Eddie recounts the Pre-Toy Run fund raising festivities in Harvey County. Next year, bring your family to the fun and benefit another's family. . . . [More]
Geeks Wear Black, Too
dystar
Handheld Protection. dystar lists a few handy, inexpensive methods of protecting your mobile devices when you take them on the road. . . . [More]
Rally, Ride or Party At Perry
Brian "Bruin" Allen
Rally: Call together for a common purpose. So I guess it should start with what is your special purpose? If its to meet up with people of similar interests in motorcycles you cant beat the Perry Labor Day Rally. . . . [More]
A True Tale of Civil Service
Nick Otto & Patti Kirkpatrick
On Sunday, July 6, we headed for Tulsa for the weekend. After stopping at Beto Junction for breakfast and after passing several bikes, we decided to take a detour by way of Cassoday to see all of the bikes and headed down 50 highway to Emporia, then on to Strong City. Stopping in Strong City for gas only, then heading on, we thought! . . . [More]
Ride-In Bike Show
Kevin McKee
July 19th, 2008 dawned with almost picture perfect weather for the annual Ride in bike show. . . . [More]
Crossroads Rally
Crazy Eddie
Friday started the Crossroads Rally off with beautiful weather, great Bands and fantastic dancers. The vendors were all set up to take care of your very need. We all got camp set up and went roaming to see the sights and sounds of the Rally. And there were a lot. . . . [More]
When Hot Ain't Cool
Donnie Boose
Last winter, we talked about staving off hypothermia by keeping warm and dry while out on your road. Well, during the summer, its not hypothermia, its HYPERthermia, otherwise known as heat stroke and heat exhaustion . . . and heat cramps, and heat rash . . . and sunburn. . . . [More]
Wing Masters (a restaurant review)
Brian "Bruin" Allen
It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Topeka so Tucker and I fired up our bikes to scout a new place for lunch. . . . [More]
Geeks Wear Black, Too
dystar
It gets worse every year. It goes up, and you want to scream. It goes down, and you want to cry. Are they kidding? Do they honestly think theyre fooling anyone? And the only face at the pump can only shrug. . . . [More]
Rest In Peace, Brother
Robert Cardona
On Friday afternoon, May 16, 2008, family, friends and ABATE District 4 members gathered at Davidson Funeral Home in North Topeka to mourn and lay a long-time friend, biker, and motorcycle drag racer. . . . [More]
Bash Report
Judy Padgett
A beautiful weekend unfolded for the 23rd Annual ABATE District 15 Bash at Thunderbird Marina held June 13, 14 and 15. The largest group of great ABATE members and friends from across Kansas and Nebraska gathered to visit, party, play and honor. The beautiful lake setting had the sounds of laughter, crackling fires, motorcycles, motorboats and great music. . . . [More]
Charity Bowl Benefits Hospice
Sandy Pritchett
A bright sun-filled day on April 19, 2008 set the scene for a special event recently held at Hospice of the Prairie & Prairie Home Health. As the Board of Directors and Staff and their families looked on, the representatives of ABATE District 7 rolled in on their motorcycles, ready to share their gift, making a difference in the lives of the patients and families served by Hospice of the Prairie. Their gift came in the form of funds to be used to provide complete hospice services to those individuals in our communities that do not have insurance coverage for hospice care. . . . [More]
Geeks Wear Black, Too
dystar
Engineers are a rare breed having the hubris that their plans consider every contingency and irrefutably make life universally better. Myopia (shortsightedness, both clinical and figurative) is entirely human, yet in the world of civil engineering, where frequently tallied by innocent life, is contemptuously denied as blasphemy. The polar truth is that the greatest sin an engineer can commit is presuming to have accounted for even the large, understood portion of the world on his large sheets of design. A common symbol of transport engineers shortsightedness is the inductive loop traffic detector found at traffic-light intersections through busy roads all over. . . . [More]
RiverCity Blowout Revisited 2008
"Crazy" Eddie Janzen
The Gate opened at noon Friday of Memorial weekend to a bright and sunny afternoon. The weekend really did start with good weather. We did get some rain late Friday night and Sunday night, but all and all it was good weather. Mostly all Friday afternoon and evening is set up time. There are some amazing campsites that take quite a while to set up. I dont think Justin and Samantha brought the kitchen sink, but then, I mightve overlooked it. Nice camp yall. The rest of the evening is sitting around talking and having fun with old friends and new. . . . [More]
What Is Memorial Day About?
Bill Cooper, Curranville
At our Dist. 3 Bike show at Neodesha, I picked up a flyer for the NE-OL Run at the Hawgs Rest Quapaw OK put on by the Loners MC. Its been about 9 years since they had a run there. It used to be called the Close to Home Run. Ive been telling my boys about it their whole lives. A wonderful place to camp and a swimming hole in the creek. They rode their mini-bikes and swam for three days straight. They have the sunburns to prove it. My 9-year-old got in the bike games on his fat tired mini-bike. He wore his helmet and eye protection also. He took home a medal for 2nd place in part of the games. This was his first run. He will remember it forever. . . . [More]
14th Annual Spring Fling Bike Show
Ed "Crazy Eddie" Janzen
ABATE District 12 members did a mighty fine thing this weekend. They got together, got the mans bike running, and spit and polished it. Then, with the wifes help, got his bike entered into the show, and blew him away. He even won a trophy. Now isnt that something. . . . [More]
Kinks and Kindness
Brian Allen
This winter has been a long one but Spring is trying to get a foot in the door. The cold is holding on, letting go as reluctantly as I do a dollar. But the trees can sense the coming season and buds are starting to form. With the ice finally off the streets it was time to take a break from the Bonneville Racer project and lay scooter tracks in the road sand. . . . [More]
Women In Time
Tish Martin
Motorcycles have been around for a long time, going back as far as the 1800s. Its been considered a mans world, but amidst that world there were a few women that stood out in it. Women discovered the sport of motorcycling almost from its very inception. There were many obstacles in the way but they were overcome. Women enjoyed the motorcycles. They were economical and fun. . . . [More]
Showering In Public
The dry winter air is now back to its usual humidity with the spring rains. The temperamental weather of Kansas shows its strength in the re-condensation of the Rockies and the warm gusts and torrents from the Gulf, resulting in various and often vicious storms. Of course, according to the old biker dictum: If you dont ride in the rain, you dont ride. And its true that if a 20% chance from a meteorologist keeps you inside polishing your chrome while dreaming of next weekend, then you should consider another counter-culture to affix your lack of self-accomplishment to. . . . [More]
Green Beer Versus Blacktop
Don Boose, Jr.
Pattys Day is a much celebrated holiday in the States. For us, its a day when the 10% of Americans who are descended from the Emerald Isle forgive the remaining 90% of the fact that theyre not, in remembrance of Holy St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland and personified spirit of the Irish. Its a feast holiday celebrated on the day traditionally held as the day of St. Patricks death. In the Irish tradition, like a Caoineadh, (or Irish Wake,) many gather to celebrate the life departed with food, song, and most certainly drink. Alcohol is well known for being a good way to reflect upon old memories. Yet while a few shots of whiskey, a couple pints of dark stout, a heavy lager, and endless samplings of ale may do you good for a hard-earned celebration, or for remembering your Irish ancestors who raised you on timeless proverbs, or for remembering Irish traditions and longing to see green hills and plains which mean home, what they allow you to forget is the way drinking impairs your ability to ride. . . . [More]
White Winter Blues
Brian Allen
They say if you dont like the weather in Kansas wait five minutes and it will change. Well Ive been waiting five weeks and it hasnt changed enough to suit me. Because our weather does oscillate through the winter season I never winterize my bikes. Usually there are enough tolerable days that if you leather-up you can get in enough rides to keep the beast charged and lubed. Not so much so far this season. . . . [More]
It Ain't About Trophies
Brian Allen
I got a letter in the mail today and if you are a Kansas ABATE member maybe you got one too. It was the announcement and entry form for the Capital City Bike Show. I attached it to the refrigerator with my favorite magnet, I never miss a good bike show. . . . [More]
Romance of the Biker Spirit
Donnie Boose
February is the month of Romance in America, and certainly there is much romance to be found in America. Our vast country still holds adventure, wonder, tragedy, and enchantment--all great backdrops for a great romance. Within the month of February, the final grip of Winter slips between the nurturing fingers of the Spring deliquescence. Traditionally, itfs within this transitional month that men pressingly venture out early into the world once more to find or reattain the romance theyfve neglected for enduring the bitter winter weather. . . . [More]
The NTSB has engaged motorcycle safety; after only forty years of silence.
Chris Maurich
On September 11, 2007 the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a press release recommending all States pass mandatory helmet laws. At their board meeting they admitted that they had come to the recommendations in a way that was outside of normal operating procedures. ABATE of Kansas strongly objects to the NTSB recommendation that all states enact legislation to mandate helmet use for all street motorcyclists. The way to reduce injuries is to reduce the number of crashes . . . [More]
Accident, Right-of-Way Violation, or Negligent Homicide?
Chris Maurich
The following story is true, I have deleted the city / state and pertinent names. "One person was killed and two others were injured when a motorcycle slammed into the side of a car at the intersection of xxxxx Avenue and xxxxx Avenue in xxxxxx Authorities have temporarily closed the northbound lanes of xxxx Avenue while they continue to investigate and clear the accident scene. According to the xxxxxx Police Department report, a two-door Oldsmobile crossed into the path of an oncoming motorcycle. . . . [More]
Geeks Wear Black, Too
Dystar
The public debut of the computer mouse was in 1968, when developer, Douglas Engelbart, used it in conjunction with a keyboard and a chord keyset. Optimize your human-computer interface by utilizing your all-but-ignored keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts are available for most applications, they can be found next to their respective commands in the program menu at the top of the screen. Keyboard shortcuts for your operating system, while harder to find, makes accessing commands quicker and easier. . . . [More]